Tired Pilot Putting Passengers At Risk

According to a new survey just released, many commercial pilots have revealed that they feel that fatigue is not taken seriously by the airlines and some of the worst offenders regarding pilot fatigue are low-cost airlines.

The study was carried by the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) and two other groups Eurocontrol, the European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation. The study showed that pilot fatigue was not being taken seriously by the airlines, who at times seem to dismiss the worries and concerns of pilots experiencing burn out.

Over 7,000 pilots responded to the survey, with a quarter of these pilots working in Europe for over thirty different carriers. The telegraph shared more details about the study, from the telegraph.co.uk

Analysis revealed that pilots’ perceptions of safety culture was related to the type of company they worked for – for example cargo, low cost or flagship airlines – and their contract with that company, either typical or atypical (self employed, zero hours, or fixed term).

The study warns that this correlation “needs to be considered carefully in light of the fact that more of these types of contracts and business models may be used in the future as competition increases.”

The results also highlight a mistrust of management and governing bodies within the industry. Only 45.8 per cent of pilots agreed that their national aviation authority – the body which oversees and enforces all safety procedures – actually takes safety seriously.

Earlier this year, the British Airline Pilots’ Association (BAPLA) warned that some airlines are forcing pilots to work for 20 hours without an adequate break, after a change in European legislation in February. The figures from the survey support BALPA’s claim: more than half (50.05 per cent) of pilots think that their employer does not take fatigue seriously, while 28.83 per cent neither agreed nor disagreed with the statement. 58 per cent of respondents said that pilots in their organisation are often tired at work.